Displacement
by despiteourvictories
Summary: The Government has decided Amity Park is no longer a safe place for citizens to live. The GIW have put up a ghost shield and All residents have been relocated to safer areas and schools. Danny, Sam, and Tucker aren't expecting it to last long though. I mean, they are the GIW…. Rated T to be safe (in later chapters).
1. Prologue

**GIW | OFFICIAL REPORT: PLEASE FWD TO ALL PERTAINING BRANCHES**

* * *

 **FWD:** coolioguy ; raduberleader2900 ; normalman66 ; Iamlukesfather ; jcarter ; fentonfan59 ; ghst_hntr ; huntress_666 ; smithMCsmithington

 **SUBJECT:** ORDER 809

TIMESTAMP: AP172006 21:40

AFTER THE MOST RECENT REPORTS THE PRESIDENT HAS DETERMINED THAT AREA 25-09X (AMITY PARK) IS NOT A SUITABLE PLACE FOR CITIZENS TO LIVE AND IS ENDANGERING THE HEALTH AND HAPPINESS OF RESIDENTS. THE GHOST UPRISING IS TO BE TREATED LIKE ANY MAJOR NATURAL DISASTER. AREA IS NOW UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDEREN AND LEARNING CENTERS OR PUBLIC ACCESS OF ANY KIND. PLEASE TAKE THE PROVIDED GOVERNMENT FUNDS AND RELOCATE ALL AMITY PARK RESIDENTS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT SMALL GROUPS BE ASSIMILATED INTO NEARBY COMMUNITIES TO PREVENT AN UPSET OF BALANCE TO NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES AND PREVENT TOO LARGE A DRAIN ON THEIR ECONOMIES AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

PROTOCOL G.C. 57 WILL BE ENACTED. THE GHOST SHIELD WILL BE PLACED TO KEEP ALL GHOST ENTITIES WITHIN THE AMITY PARK BOUNDS. IT IS ANTICIPATED THE FENTONS WILL BE DIFFICULT TO RELOCATE, ADDITIONAL FUNDS ARE PROVIDED TO USE AS NECESSARY TO BUILD ANOTHER LAB IN THEIR RELOCATED CITY (WITH RESTRICTIONS. NO OTHER GHOST PORTAL IS TO BE BUILT, ALL USEFUL LAB TECH DEVELOPED MUST BE SHARED WITH ALL PERTINENT FACTIONS FOR THE AID OF GIW GHOST STUDY, CONTROL, AND ERADICATION.)


	2. Chapter 1

_Hello friends! This Fanfic is based off my tumblr post from my artistfae blog. At the start of this fic Danny is 16, turning 17 soon. Though the art style of the tv series doesn't really show it, I'm guessing by this point they've grown a bit &ghost hunting has developed some skills/ muscles. I like the idea of them able to express more of who they have become in this new setting with no dash&co to project their (now) misplaced preconceptions of who danny&co are/what they are capable of. Fighting ghosts for a couple years is bound to change them. But don't worry- in other chapters we'll get little snapshots of the other characters who went to different schools & maybe eventually see them all together again)_

* * *

It was an ordinary school, with run down lockers and a joke of a gym teacher and vanilla office ladies, world weary math teachers and a few literary instructors who _might_ slip a little extra into their coffee during lunch hours to help get themselves through the day. When the announcement of the transfer students arrived at the office, the news circulated in the fashion of High schools everywhere- that is, within an hour everyone from the highest to lowest levels of the self-proclaimed 'food chain' knew about it. The news would remain an interesting topic for a few days and then fade as the next scandal arose, important at the time but in reality, ultimately unimportant in the stream of life.

This information was interesting enough to pique the curiosity of the teachers, however. A slightly higher caliber level of gossip, as these Transfer students were relocated here at the behest of the Government. No one really believed the stories of ghosts- most assumed it was some local joke, much like Australians will automatically back up any bullshit story a buddy delivers with a straight face to make fun of tourists. Ghosts weren't real- either these newcomers were paranoid idiots or had great poker faces. Most believed a third option- that the tourist industry had circulated such tales for so long that telling the legend was second nature to even the worst liar of the bunch.

So after a half day of being stared at, psychoanalyzed, ignored, and snorted at in derision, the small group of transfer students from Casper High found themselves at the edge of the stadium during lunch. Out of the eight, only three did not attempt to assimilate themselves into various cliques.

"Man this blows- I have like, one class with Sam and that's _it_. How did you manage to get three together? The only time I'll see you, Danny is during  lunch." Tucker sighed in annoyance, tugging on his beret in irritation.

"Hey I'm just grateful Sam was able to flash some cash and make sure we got placed in the same _school"_ Danny sat back in the stands, pulling out a sandwich from home that he, for once, could guarantee wouldn't try eat him instead. Their new apartment hadn't had time to degenerate into a lab yet, so for now food was safe. Sam flashed him a smug smile

"It's nice to be appreciated. And Tucker, since it's in the middle of a semester there wasn't much I could do about schedules. Next year will be better"

" _If_ there's a next year" Danny muttered through the turkey and mayo "You know the Guys in White. I give it a week, tops, before I have to start running out of classes again"

Sam's expression got even more smug, if that was possible "Speaking of which, Danny, I've figured out the perfect cover story for you. And don't look at me like you're scared Tucker, this plan is _genius_ "

"That's what I'm afraid of- oof!" Tucker ducked his head after a playful punch from his Goth friend " _Anyway_ " Sam continued "I took a leaf out of Dash's book"

"That's never a good sign" Danny interjected, but he looked curious despite himself

"and can I just say Hallelujah that he was transferred somewhere _else_ " Tucker said emphatically as he waved a chicken leg around

"As much as I would like to take credit for that, I can't. But let me finish- now hear me out. If Danny gets injured fighting ghosts he needs an excuse and some kind of immunity from teachers like Dash had, _and_ he needs to stay in fighting condition for when the ghosts come back. So why not join the Lacrosse Team?" Sam said quickly, and was rewarded by two awed faces

"That….actually would work" Tucker mused

"Except guys, I've never played lacrosse before in my life? And I don't mix well with the Sporty types remember?" Danny stuttered out when he recovered from his initial surprise

"oh come one man, even if we take just Skulker's shenanigans alone you've basically been getting custom training. Your aim, speed, durability and reflexes are good enough to be moderately okay at any sport and lacrosse has enough rough housing that we can blame any injury you get on it. Plus, being on a sports team means the teachers are more willing to accept excuses. And unless you're really terrible or extremely good, everyone safely ignores you. Remember, Anonymity in high school is a _blessing_ " Tucker jumped up eagerly, clearly getting into the idea

Sam, seeing through the real reason for Tuck's enthusiasm, leaned over to Danny and commented dryly "Not to mention he will get better chances of ladies now that his friend will have jock status"

"Well, I won't deny _that_ " Tucker shrugged with a grin

They were still discussing the topic when the 5 minute bell rung. Danny was arguing the pros and cons of the various sports with Sam as Tucker fiddled with his pda, then tucked it in a pocket.

"HEADS!" a call came from further on the field. A group tossing a football around had clearly overthrown, and, much to his surprise, Tucker caught it and tossed it back.

"Are you sure you don't want to take up the sport instead?" Danny asked, somewhat surprised

"Nah, our group doesn't need more than one jock position. Plus it would take up too much time from my tech" Tucker replied casually "Though I guess that ghost hunting did something for me too. Probably from tossing the Fenton thermos to you and Sam- or maybe it was my instincts to protect my _precious_ " He stroked his PDA. Sam and Danny just rolled their eyes, and the trio continued on to their new classrooms.

/After School/

"Man, English is just not the same without Lancer. I thought his class was boring but at least the man was an entertaining train wreck. This new teacher is straight up boring. If a human could embody the color grey it would be him" Tucker griped as they walked home at the end of the day. The school was close enough to Tuckers place that he could walk home, and waiting at his place for Jazz to pick them up sure beat the terrible traffic around the school

"Tell me about it- I have that guy first period. How am I supposed to stay awake to that?" Danny agreed as he ran a hand through his dark hair in annoyance. To be fair, he hadn't stayed awake much in Lancers class either

"I don't know what you're talking about. My advanced Literature Teacher is actually really interesting. " Sam offered

"Sam, that's because you got a female teacher who presents feminist lit and poetry alongside the good classics and thinks that students who express themselves are the best thing to happen to this nation" Danny protested

"Exactly! It's going to be a great class, I can feel it. Oh, and by the way, I met your coach- He teaches my economics class. He's kindof a frootloop, but not in a Vlad Masters way. I think Lacrosse will be good for you"

Danny just groaned- he would probably regret letting Sam talk him into this.

* * *

 _I was fiddling around with where to start out the fic but ended up here. I think there will be some flashback chapters and timeskips though. If anyone wants to give suggestions feel free to message me. I might end up doing more art for this who knows /shrugs_

 _Also I'm still getting used to the weird formatting rules. like apparently *** isn't an acceptable break and spaces aren't a thing? ugh how do people format these so they are not just walls of text?_


	3. Chapter 2

A week later, Danny had to admit that Sam was right. Lacrosse _was_ good for him. It actually was sort of fun and with the addition of regular sleep and no distractions, he felt better than he had for the last couple of years. Less dead, pardon the pun. He still got bruises here and there, but human knocks had much less of a punch than the ghostly ones did. Not to mention he had a few tricks up his sleeve that made collisions less effective and less painful. (and no, Sam, that's not _cheating_ it's self-preservation!) He wasn't that great at passing or scoring but he could catch well and was one of the fastest runners on the team. Average, unremarkable.

It was strange, blending in so well with the background, but it was also very freeing. He had many acquaintances that could be considered 'friends' but no obligations to the upkeep of those relationships and no one even thought to try and shove him into a locker(which was good, as he probably wouldn't fit into one easily anymore. He was now slightly taller than Jazz). His grades were much higher now and he could actually hang out with Tucker and Sam like they used to. They all lowkey missed some aspects of ghost chasing but the Fenton lab was getting closer to functional, they were all very confident that soon Jack and Maddie Fenton would be adding more excitement than they could possibly want into their lives again. Maybe when summer came they'd even have a ghostly hotdog revolution during a grill party.

Tucker was also doing well. It helped that no one here knew his slightly more nerdy and social faux pas incidents from elementary and middle school. He had also gained a day of fame after it got out that two guys who tried to bully him in the first couple days found their phones donating to charities, their televisions on a loop of teletubbies, and their fire alarms going off in the middle of the night for a week straight. After that no one tried to bother him beyond calling him a tech nerd- but Tucker saw that as more of a badge of pride. The school also had a great technology department and classes teaching coding (not that he needed the help). Sam was mostly left alone or ignored, to her pleasure. Danny was fairly certain about twenty percent of the student body were vaguely intimidated by her and another twenty percent probably wanted to secretly be her, or at least, have her confidence.

The Amity park students still nodded to each other in the hallways and there was a running betting poll between them about how long the GIW would last and if or when they would go back to Casper High, but most didn't interact much beyond that.

Occasionally they would hear about other Amity Parkers in other schools- Dash and Kwaan were the only AP's in their school but still were considered football stars, Paulina was battling it out with the local diva in her school for queen status, Star joined her schools choral and was going to be in the state competitions with them even though she'd only been around for a week, etc etc. Even the Amity Park nerds seemed to be flourishing in their schools. Tucker called it the Life & Death syndrome "Amity Park students are just tougher than these guys and they can sense it. They've been in dangerous situations and had to deal with crazy things- aint nobody want to mess with that"

It was a week later, and all was quiet.

The Fenton Lab was still in construction, but Jack of course had managed to invent something problematic despite most of the supplies still in boxes and all the mess and construction. Maddie had been busy being the adult around the household, actually unpacking and getting things in a livable state. Both were pretty put out about their prime Ghost territory being banned, but were complacent enough since both Danny and Jazz reassured them that the GIW were bound to call on them for assistance. Not to mention the money provided for their new lab and (probably) to keep them from running back to Amity Park with the Fenton 'sleep' darts.

Maddie still had that plan in the works anyway.

Near the end of the school week Danny was getting a little twitchy- he kept feeling like the GIW grace period was running out and any day he would awake to some disastrous ghost problem. It seemed like the longer everything was 'normal' the more sketchy it got. Was life really like this before?

"Dude, what is up? You've been acting like an escaped convict all day" Sam finally asked in annoyance as Danny looked around the Lunchroom anxiously for the umpteenth time

"Yeah, you're acting like when skulker was- ooooh" Tucker commented, then trailed off as he realized the reason for Danny's behavior "You're expecting something to happen aren't you?"

"Did you get any indication? Is it your ghost sense?" Sam asked a little sharper than she intended. Truth was, she was also a little edgy.

"No, that's the problem" Danny replied "I don't think I've gone a whole week without any sign of ghosts since that portal _opened_ " He sighed, running a hand through his hair "It's like in those jump scare horror flicks you used to like watching, Sam. Where they just keep building the tension and nothing _happens_ until by the time you're used to it, something awful does and you just aren't prepared anymore!"

"well I hate to suggest this, but if you're really _that_ worried about it..." Sam said, then bit her lip hesitantly

"what?" Danny asked suspiciously

"Ask Vlad"

"Sam are you crazy? If I ask him for help he'll see it as some sort of weird invitation for him to be my new dad or something, I don't want to give him that kind of opening. He forces himself into my life enough as it _is_ "

"While I do admit that he has some weird old man biz going on, he's more together than you think. _and_ he has access to a ghost portal and would know if anything is brewing over in Amity Park that we should know about" Sam counter argued, then turned to Tucker "Well? what about you?"

"Hey man, I'm Switzerland on this. Though if you do go to Vlads I'm coming with" He replied while stealing one of Danny's french fries

"uh...not that I don't appreciate the wingman offer, Tuck, but why?" Danny asked and reciprocated by grabbing a couple of his friends chicken nuggets

"Because he's got cash and cash gets nice technology and _upgrades_ and maybe I can swipe some. Also you never know when we might need a hack in to his place." Tucker replied with dignity, going for Sam's chocolate shake for a moment, then pausing when he remembered it was a Soy-shake

Sam smirked, glad her food was safe and slid the shake closer to her "Tuck, that's stealing. and while it's good to have contingency plans, what makes you think you can hack Vlad's security?"

"Isn't it obvious? Maddie is his password for _everything_ and for his 'really crazy' security it's just her birthday with the occasional sweetums or Honey thrown in. It's simple, really." Tuck replied rolling his eyes. Danny looked a little green "Um tuck that's my mom and we're eating. Please try to not bring up his weird obsession"

"Boys we're getting off track."

"okay I'll consider it" Danny huffed in annoyance "but only because I'm so wound up I might end up blasting the next thing that startles me, and something tells me my neighbors cat won't appreciate the gesture"

* * *

 _P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!_

 _(I really should be working on my commissions instead of this...)_

 _Thanks to my reviewers! Honestly the reason why I actually started writing this in the first place is from the interest & comments I got so it definitely keeps my motivation up- hope you are all enjoying where I'm going with this!_

 _I already have a Dash chapter in the works, though I don't really want to put his in until about a month has passed in the timeline. Maybe I'll put in a Danny-plays-Lacrosse & possibly a visit-Vlad chapter in before it?_


	4. Chapter 3

"I'm telling you, by the end of practice today Danny will make up his mind to go to Vlads. " Sam declared over their chemistry lab equipment

"No way" Tucker countered "I say give him until Sunday evening- then he'll bug out."

"Today"

"Sunday"

"Wanna bet on it, big guy?" Sam smirked as she swirled her vial around, seeing it turn the correct color. She scribbled down some notes onto the worksheet to see Tuckers turn a dubious shade of Coral

"Sure. Ten bucks. " Tucker replied, confident.

.

 **/Outside the School, 5 PM/**

 **.**

Danny looked over the field to see Sam and Tucker waiting for him, and decided to forgo the shower in the locker rooms- he'd just take one at home. Practice hadn't been too bad today and even without the ghost hunting scars, he was still a fairly private guy. It didn't help that locker rooms were where Dash's worst punishments usually resided.

"Tuck I sure hope you don't have anything tomorrow morning" Danny said as he hopped over the short fence, before they could greet him "Because we're crashing the cheese-king mansion." He bent down to re-tie a shoelace that had come undone on his way over.

Tuckers groan wasn't quite what he had expected, not after the lunch time tech-snatching speech his friend had given earlier. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tucker slip something to Sam. Danny straightened, frowning. Sam looked smug (a very familiar expression, at this point). Then it all clicked.

"Were you _betting_ on how long it would take me to crack?" He asked incredulously

"Let's be honest Danny we were bound to go there at some point" Sam countered nonchalantly "and on the bright side, if you wake up tomorrow to a ghost-apocalypse you don't have to go"

Danny cheered up a little at that- but only a little.

.

 **/ Saturday morning, 11:36 a.m. Wisconsin /**

 **.**

"I still think stealth would be better" Tucker pouted from the backseat and Danny agreed- he didn't want to give Vlad the impression that they were on good enough terms to make house calls using doorbells, but Sam had insisted on starting off with polite manners, they _were_ asking a favor, after all.

She had decided to come, even though it had been implied yesterday that it would be a just Danny and Tucker. Her nerves were on edge just as much as Danny's, but goths didn't fidget or worry they _skulked,_ so the composed one she would be. But that did not mean she had to sit out on things like this. So she was coming. The boys hadn't needed much convincing since her transportation was a little more reliable than the Fenton assault vehicle. Money had perks like that. As much as she hated to, she'd been throwing her money weight around lately. In her defense, in hasty moves and resettling it was a necessary act if she wanted to get her way, and if Sam was completely honest with herself (not that she would be), she did live up to her family in that Manson's _always_ got their way.

The driveway was impossibly long. Sam resisted tapping her fingers on her black skirt, resisted running to the front door, and resisted punching the doorbell ten times, settling with just two. After what seemed like a long wait, the expected throaty voice greeted them:

"My _dear_ boy-" Vlad started as soon as the door opened, only to be cut off by Danny's elbow as he pushed past him into the enormous lobby with a grim look. The billionaire narrowed his eyes, swallowing down the frenemy banter. Truth be told he didn't mind the puns and the name calling (most of the time) because it meant they actually had a relationship, even one close to that many teenagers had with their fathers. He set that aside since judging from the behavior, Danny needed Adult Vlad, not Pun-and-Attack evil Uncle Vlad right now.

"What is wrong?" He asked seriously, so seriously that it seemed to throw Danny a little off kilter. Luckily Sam jumped in

"We need to know what's going on in Amity Park" She said matching his tone in seriousness

"What's going on with Amity Park? Surely you would know, you live there." Vlad asked, genuinely confused. For the past week he had been out of the country, seeing to his assets. Even _he_ occasionally had to see to his affairs (which generally involved overshadowing people so they would do the work for him). Not to mention there was this promising rumor he had heard through the underground about a substance that was ghost canceling that had been discovered at a meteor crash site in Russia. So naturally he hadn't been snooping outside his state (or even in his state) for a little bit. But how much could change in a few weeks, really?

Apparently quite a lot, judging from the looks the Trio was giving each other

"um, the problem is we don't _live_ in Amity Park anymore" Danny replied

.

.

* * *

/Author notes: /

 _Sorry it has been so long, friends! I've been working on my art commissions, working at my job, and getting things done for Christmas. Thanks for being patient! I know this chapter is short but I swear I'll update another one soon that should be longer. I actually was debating between Vlad being there and not but I think I've figured out where I want the plot to go as far as he is concerned. thanks again!_

 _also still trying to figure out how to format everything =_=;;_


	5. Chapter 4

_"um, the problem is we don't live in Amity Park anymore" Danny replied_

Vlad visibly startled, Danny wondered idly if he just assumed like the rest of the world that the Fenton's were a permanent part of Amity Park, as if they wouldn't exist without each other.

Or perhaps it was the fact that about a week ago they had been trading comebacks in ghostly form across the town like every normal Tuesday.

"You _don't live_ there anymore?!" Vlad's normally unruffled cool was clearly gone at this point. "I was gone for a _week_ how would this hap- oh, of course. _Clever_ child, however I don't have time for pranks you see-" his denial was interrupted again by two blank faces and one serious and annoyed one belonging to Sam.

"The Government finally decided Amity is a disaster zone unsafe for civilians. They've forcefully relocated all Amity Park residents to nearby areas" She deadpanned, then fished a copy of the orders from her backpack, government seal and all.

"As much as we'd love this to be a prank, it isn't"

The older man snatched the paper from her, looking carefully over it's contents with narrowed eyes, though he was clearly shaken. After a moment he sighed, rubbing his forehead and motioning them to follow him, muttering something about needing coffee and more information. The trio looked at each other dubiously, but followed.

Danny looked uneasily at Vlad's tense shoulders. The way he was reacting was too genuine for his comfort, like he was a real person underneath all his showcasing and posturing. Like maybe he really was a real person who had real life worries. It was so easy to fit him in his neat little 'evil frootloop' box without thinking about the man underneath it all. It wasn't really something he was ready to confront yet.

Once they reached the kitchen Vlad didn't say a word until he had a full coffee mug in his hand. He sat at a nearby granite top, pouring in a small amount of cream and then stirring it gently with a small spoon. He quickly tasted a small spoonful, narrowed his eyes for a moment, and then nodded subconsciously to himself before stirring it again and then bringing the cup to his lips.

Danny stared. The behavior was so similar to his father for a moment that it was jarring. The only time he had ever seen Jack Fenton behave in a way that made him seem almost normal was when he was particularly tired in the morning with his coffee, when he followed this exact routine. Danny had always thought that it seemed a little out of character for his dad (particularly since there was no sugar involved) but now he started to wonder if it was a habit he had picked up in college. He said he'd been pretty close to Vlad? What if they had been roomates? What if, after 3 ½ years of college together Jack had picked up Vlads coffee routine after so many late nights working on finals and projects? The thought was discomforting. Danny didn't realize he'd been staring until Sam shook his shoulder. Vlad had asked him a question

"sorry, what?" He mumbled, not looking the older man in the eye

"When exactly did you say you relocated?" Vlad asked again. The questions and answers bounced back and forth like a particularly competitive game of ping pong until Vlad felt mostly satisfied with the overall picture of what had happened. It was puzzling. It was troubling.

After a solid minute of silence, Danny, restless, finally asked the question he most wanted to know the answer to "Isn't it strange that the GIW haven't been overrun yet? What is going on in Amity Park?"

For once not ridiculing Danny, Vlad just nodded to himself "Of course, it is strange that those incompetents have been in an area of such a high level ectoplasmic activity without any major incident occurring or over spillage due to inadequate management and protection. I can see why you are anxious but I doubt anything of note has happened. I've always wondered if the extreme ghost activity was in fact exacerbated from our presence and interference with the ghost zone, rather than the other way around"

The three teenagers stared at Vlad. It wasn't that they couldn't understand what the man was saying, it was just...it was very easy to forget that Vlad was actually an accomplished scientist. Danny started to feel extremely antsy.

"Well could you let me pop in the ghost zone just to make sure?" Danny asked, not wanted to think of the implications that he might be the reason why Amity Park was constantly in danger, rather than his perception of being a hero.

"No."

Danny stepped back at the firmness in Vlads voice.

"What? why not?"

"I don't think so, Daniel. This is something that needs stealth and precision and I don't want to explain to Madaline why her son found his grisly demise in my basement."

"Grisly demise? I can handle myself just fine Vlad. Can't you just let me enter the ghost zone right now really quick?" Danny asked frustrated

" _I_ will gather updated information on the situation for you and enter the ghost zone from my portal. Sorry Daniel, but I would rather not allow you to see where my portal connects. I don't want any surprise visits from that end.

And I wouldn't recommend phasing through the walls or trying to access my lab without me, I have extensive security in place there that is coded only to my DNA. Not using some hackable password" With this he looked at Tucker sharply, then continued " No need for me to have to explain to Madeline why she no longer has a son"

As he spoke Vlad's voice got silkier until he had slipped back into his debonair rich man attitudes that Danny was so familiar with. Danny took this as an indication that Vlad was serious, and that this conversation was now finished.

He sighed in frustration, but realized that Vlad would probably not lie to him about this, and any information was better than none. Surprisingly, he did feel less anxious now.

"and where _did_ you relocated to?" Vlad added on as an 'afterthought'

Danny wasn't fooled. "Nice try Vlad, like I'm going to tell you. I don't want any surprise visits either" he countered. Vlad had his phone, he could call, but no need to tell the man where he lived or even the town.

* * *

 _Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long again- My computer finally died and I had to replace it, not to mention I had to remember all my login information and locate my files for this fanfiction. I also moved and started my last semester of college! But I do have stuff pre planned and written so hopefully every once in a while I'll be able to update. I hope you enjoy the chapter, I honestly had a lot of fun writing Vlad._


	6. Chapter 5

Vlad narrowed his eyes, through the window as the three surly teenagers left his grounds. This was troubling news- mainly because if the government was finally taking notice and actually taking such extreme action as to relocate the entire town, something was up. He had heard that they were considering blowing the ghost zone up entirely. Such a thing would have cataclysmic reactions. The ghost zone was inexplicably tied to the real world and if one were to disappear, there was no guarantee that the real world wouldn't as well.

It was good to see Daniels face again, even better that he should come asking him for help. But it was certainly bad timing.

He sighed, sipping the last dregs of his coffee cup and setting it down with a ceramic chink on the table. No time like the present- he might as well take a quick look at what was going on in the ghost zone.

 **/Salem City High /**

The rest of the weekend had gone well. Danny was still a little restless and somewhat disgruntled by the visit to Vlad but he was no longer as jumpy. By the time school started up again on Monday he was much more calm, and when he came home to a letter in that unmistakable loopy handwriting

 _"Daniel, I have surveyed the Ghost zone and found that your families ghost portal remains closed by the genetic lock. The GIW seem to be having trouble with it. Natural portals still randomly manifest in Amity Park and the occasional small fry ghost has gotten in to cause trouble but most ghosts have no trouble avoiding entanglements with those incompetents. A few have set up shop in various areas but with no one to terrify they seem to get bored and approximately half end up returning to the ghost zone. I haven't heard of any trouble brewing but I will keep my ears open and inform you of any changes. Enjoy your time off, and please, don't hesitate to visit (preferably without an agenda). ~Vlad Masters"_

Danny snorted, rolling his eyes. As if. He did appreciate the information though- it was much easier to focus on his new life without worrying about his old one. And if Vlad was kept busy making sure nothing happened to the ghost zone or Amity park, he couldn't cause trouble elsewhere...

"Good news?" Sam asked as she entered the room, noting Danny's smile

"Good news."

"Good we don't want you distracted for this weekends game" She replied, reading the letter over his shoulder

Danny startled "Game? I have a game this weekend?"

* * *

 _super short chapter! but the next one is going to be much longer, I just wasn't sure how to transition. I'm also thinking about possibly including some GIW chapters? probably later on though._


	7. Chapter 6: Paulina & Star

**/ Crowley High School /**

Paulina listened to the conversations with mild disinterest thikning "and that Samantha girl thought that _I'm_ shallow"

As much as she would never admit it to any of her friends, being popular out _here_ was actually pretty boring. As much as Paulina liked new shoes, nice malls, and being able to flaunt her money, it wasn't nearly as challenging as remaining on top in a town where teens had a bit more variation to their priorities. Such as remaining uninjured and occaisionally banding together as a town with those crazy Fentons to fight off some ghost army. And believe it or not, her friends had had some interesting existentional conversations about the implications of the dead beocming overlords and taking over the living. Just because these conversations were over their fat free soy-pumpkin chai latte's after buying expensive makeup products and shoes and interdisperced with exclamations over that _cute_ ghost boy didn't mean that they never happened. Of course, Samantha would never understand that. She was still convinced that she was superior because she shunned super feminine things like fashionable makeup and girly clothes. Sure she read more books in a week than Paulina had in her life, probably, but that didn't mean she was better. She'd learn everntually though, and realize that hating pink and all that Paulina stood for was actually internalized mysogyny. Of course, Paulina was starting to realize that she also had quite a few problematic behaviors (she only admitted these to her cute therapist though). But understanding that the need to be on top of a social ladder that was technically a doctrine ingrained to her since birth designed to pit women against each other and force them to contribute to the commercialized world by purchasing products to improve beauty, and being able to _stop_ that need were two totally different things. Plus this was _high school_ and Paulina wasn't about to make her own life miserable in a failed attempt to change the toxic recipe by society that has been refined for years.

Besides, thinking that long and putting in that much effort made her brain hurt. She'd rather spend that time treating herself to a mani pedi and swooning over the cutest movie stars. For now she would focus on self love, and her self _loved_ to be adored and considered the best.

/Tiffanie/

Tiffanie noticed that Paulina was changing, she seemed less impressed by the typical popular kids posturing. Wheat she didn't realize was that, in a way, her aloofness further highlighted her 'superior' status in the eyes of those who wanted to impress her and repeatedly failed. Tiffanie was safe, she was from Casper High and Paulina seemed to favor anyone from Casper. Not to mention Tiffanie had been with the in crowd to begin with- She had been asked to the last Casper High dance by Dash Baxter, after all. But just because she was generally exempt didn't change the fact that Paulina Sanchez was scarier now- instead of simply utilizing simple put-downs about fashion choices or lack of money, her insults held more punch- they found actual problematic opinions and behaviors and reallt twisted because the recipient couldn't call her shallow. They were true, to some extent, and therefore more devestating. No wonder it really didn't take long for Paulina to oust the schools original beauty Queen.

 **/ Adams County Christian School /**

Star didn't mind being put in a Christian School, they usually looked better on resume's anyway, and she had a lot of desperate boys who would fullfill her high maintence needs. Why should she have to buy her own cappocino and carry her own books when there were a dozen boys who couldn't resist the schoolgirl skirt? Most of the parents had placed their sons in this school to keep them away from 'worldly' and 'wonton' women but they didn't bank on Star arriving. She knew how to wrap them around her fingers and do all the work for her. It was even better than Amity Park to be completely honest, though she missed Paulina, most of the girls here were a little _too_ prim- some even considered eyeshadow to be too 'tempting' and shunned it like it attracted the devil. Coming from the 'supposed' ghost school, Star didn't care if they thought she was in congress with the devil because of her makeup- they were bound to think it anyway. and it definitely paid to be able to intimidate half of the students without effort.

On the upside, that made Star stand out more because she looked _on point_. few girls here knew the wonders of subtle makeup and proper palattes or they were part of the aforementioned 'no makeup' group.

Star had always wanted to be a musician in the spotlight, her name _was_ perfect for the vocation, after all, and this school happened to have a great choral that was going places. Especially since Star had joined. Unfortunately there was no cheerleading team- or rather, the cheer team had ugly prudish outfits (which seemed a little rediculous to star since the school uniforms themselves showed much more leg) and terribly boring routines- it was not worth joining, it would actually _lower_ her social status to join. But being in the stands and able to actually watch the game had it's own perks.

"Star!" one of her eager boys, Destin, called out (this one was actually pretty cute, in a thin track-runner kind of way). She turned slightly indicating she heard him as he caught up to her in the hallway "Are you going to the weekend game?"

Star was vaguely confused- she didn't recall seeing anything about the field being booked for a weekend game- she thought the football team was going to visit a nearby college campus that had a great football scholarship program.

"The one in Salem? we don't usually play them but one of the regular schools cancled..."

Now she was truly miffed. and a miffed Star was not a happy Star. She did not like wasting her time. Destin looked less confident but tried one more time

"I know you don't normally go for Lacrosse...but it's going to be exciting! I hear there is a new player this term to switch things up, and we might be able to finally beat these guys"

Star smiled suddenly, one that would make a shark proud. A new player? perhaps it was Kwaan, or one of the other sports crowd from Amity park. She wouldn't mind a hook up with one of her old flames, for old times sake. Boys here just did not know how to kiss well.

"alright" she said sweetly "but we are _not_ taking that smelly gross bus"

Destin grinned "Don't worry- my dad is letting me borrow his car"

"Perfect"

* * *

 _Hey guys! as promised, chapters on some other characters and where they are at. I chose the names of the high schools from lists (first one was from a list of high schools in Louisiana*, because that's the general area where lancer pointed on the US map for amity park) and second one from Ohio because from a few episodes it's indicated that Amity park might be somewhere central US near lake erie. And Crowley high stood out bc lets be real, crowley from supernatural is great and is connected with the underworld/occult and the Adams county was chosen because of the Adams family. Just me having fun, basically!_

 _*this is not to say that the schools in the fic are actually located in these states_


	8. Chapter 7

"Alright folks, tonight's game is with Adams County Christian School . There are two types of Christian schools out there, the ones that are Fanatics and good and sports and the ones that are Fanatics and terrible at sports. This team is generally the latter, but don't put your guard down because if you all get beaten by these holier-than-thou wilting Delilahs I WILL run you so hard you will see my dead Grandma. and trust me, you do NOT want to see my dead Grandma" Coach bellowed. Danny didn't mind- anything was better than him reciting the speech from Independence day. Again.

With the end of the speech, the team moved onto the field, typical school band playing and cheerleaders cheering. Danny felt his adrenaline up and a grin on his face- it really was different being the one on the team, rather than on the bleachers (or, much more often, at home).

As a midfield, Danny was able to traverse the whole field. The position was perfect for him- including fast decision making, fast reflexes, and, according to coach, 'getting that dang ball to our attack-man to SCORE'. His hobbies in tactical games came in handy and his ghostly abilities did make his job easier. In a way, he felt like this game was training him in ways he never could have imagined. Already his powers were becoming more precise. He was able to pinpoint exactly which part of his body went intangible for how long and ways to manipulate his weight and breathing, making it easier to run for longer times without going full-on ghost. Sam had convinced him to not use his telekinesis, overshadowing, or other ghost powers and he had convinced her that 'ensuring that he didn't hurt himself' were a just use of his abilities.

The game started quickly- the Adams team gained possession of the ball first, passing and moving quickly, almost gaining a score before Salem's defense caught up. The ball switched possession a few times, until a gifted player from the christian school Body checked a little too hard and stole the ball. No foul was called, so they continued.

The opposing player with the ball ran too near him, and Danny stick checked him, catching the ball neatly in his own net and running for the other side of the field. The players in front of him crowded together, but there was space enough he should make it. Danny dodged left, making his left elbow intangible for a few seconds, just enough to let him squeeze between two players, then flicked his wrist hard, passing the ball to their Second Home (though the first time he had called their attack-man that he'd been laughed at. Apparently Sam had looked up girls Lacrosse- though why the names for the players were different, Danny didn't know). His Teammate caught the ball deftly and shot a score, before being rammed in the face by an angry opposing player. Apparently a few of these supposed 'wilting Delilahs' were fed up with being seen as such. The first foul of the game was called- apparently the referee couldn't ignore something _that_ blatant, whether he'd been paid off or not.

The game was fast paced and intense enough to be interesting, but Salem still won. Despite the blatant (and more occasionally subtle) fouls by the Christian school that the referee's ignore. Danny was probably the only player that didn't have some sort of injury- the other team had certainly _tried_ to pull some shenanigans with him but he wasn't about to let that work. It was amazing what a flash of intangibility could do to kill momentum, and his powers made him much more durable (not to mention his accelerated healing. Thank goodness for that.) The team trotted off the field with an approving crowd hollering and cheering behind them.

 **/Star/**

The game was good- Star hadn't thought she'd actually enjoy the game part but these boys knew how to _move_ , and just as tough as football players. Possibly more so since they had less padding and Star was pretty sure the typical game didn't have as much tackling as this one had...

"wait, where's that transfer boy you were talking about?" Star asked Destin. The redhead looked at her suddenly, frowning, apparently finally pieceing together that she had been hoping for a player she knew

"Right there- number 53"

She narrowed her eyes, looking at the player as he moved off field. He looked too lean to be any of the football players she had _-ahem -_ hung out with. Destin continued speaking, mainly grumbling about their team apparently not able to debilitate him during the game with their less-than legal moves. Star paid him little attention, watching as the player removed his helmet, grinning. He was vaguely familiar, and cute. She inhaled sharply as she finally recognized him. _No way_. She texted Paulina rapidly after snapping a pixelated picture with her phone.

"Someone you know?" Destin asked, surly. Star rolled her eyes, men could be so insecure it was disgusting "He was nerdsville in my school. Used to get beat up by our Football star all the time, but he had some witty comebacks occasionally"

Destin leaned back, folding his arms in distaste.

 _"Honestly. Boys."_ Star thought annoyed. Part of her wanted to talk to Fenton, to see how much he had changed- Now that he was older and toned up he had potential...but she wasn't willing to wait around for him, the team had just left for the locker-rooms and he wasn't _that_ cute. But she would text Paulina.

"Lets go" she turned to Destin, who brightened up considerably and led her to the car.

 **/locker room/**

Danny realized that he felt comfortable here- enough so that this seemed normal for him. This _was_ his life. He used to change in the shower stalls or just wait till he got home but they had worked really hard today, and it had rained before the game, so they were more muddy than usual. The after-game high was still apparent in the team as they changed for the showers, and there were a few calls of 'good job Fenton!' inter-dispersed with the other congratulatory hollers to various team members.

"Where did you get all those scars man? You look hardcore!" one of the guys in the locker room asked suddenly, with a voice that sounded like he was probably perpetually stoned.

"I used to fight ghosts every day. They start to pile up" Danny said in all seriousness, but knew that by this point the people here just thought he had a very dry sense of humor. He tried not to show that he had been startled by the sudden comment behind him, but he supposed that they hadn't noticed them before. He wasn't one to take off his shirt around others, generally.

"Hahaha dude you are a _riot_ but for real though"

"Car accident. Went straight through the window. Wear you seatbelts kids" Danny replied the story Tucker and Sam had finally agreed on

There were a few chuckled and shaking heads as well as a "sorry man" and "That's intense" around the locker room, but the subject dropped and no one asked questions about it again. Car accidents weren't that wild and soon Danny's scars became invisible to them because they had a boring, everyday explanation for them.

* * *

 _the attitudes towards christian schools in these last couple chapters are solely the characters opinions and not my own- please don't be offended :) And I hope this chapter made sense! I've never tried writing sports stuff before so...=_=;; anyway I hope you all have enjoyed the various Easter eggs I've included throughout the fic :) I couldn't decide on what number danny should be but then I remembered...DP has 53 episodes. That's good enough for me!_


	9. Chapter 8

Paulina gasped in surprise 'No _way_ is that nerd boy that toned' she texted back to Star 'he's actually a little cute. Are you sure he doesn't have a cooler cousin or something?'

She waited a few minutes until she heard a familiar _noot noot_

' _unless he has a cousin with his exact name and nerd sister, no'_

Paulina narrowed her eyes at the picture. She'd have to see it to believe it first. How could a nerd boy who got beat up every week turn into someone who was pretty good at sports? In a few short weeks? Well if her school did any games against Salem she'd probably go…It'd be fun to at least flirt with him to mess with that Samantha girl who was always starting fights. And ask him if his weird parents had seen anymore sightings of that Ghost Boy….

 **/Next day, after school /**

"Hey, Fen _turd_ , I heard from my cousin that Dash Baxter used to whale on you every day and now you're acting all high and mighty" Danny turned around in surprise at the old nickname he hadn't heard In such a long time. "But I bet you're just acting tough and you'd go back to your place after a reminder."

Because of the unexpected shock his mind took a little longer than usual to compute the meaning behind the sentence, but that didn't stop his reflexes from catching the punch aimed at his face. Danny glared at the Football player he vaguely knew, unaware that his eyes had started to glow faintly green. The jock paled, He had almost forgotten that strange eerie feeling the Amity Park transfer students gave off, but was suddenly reminded. The look in this teenager's eyes did not betray anything of weakness. He had seen this look before, on the cover of a magazine with a photo of a child refugee. It spoke of experiencing things beyond the pale of everyday life, that something as simple as high school positioning could not even come close to intimidation. Whoever Fenton was, he was not the quaking submissive nerd that the jock had made him out to be.

"Who are you?" He blurted out, desperate to break the pressure that had inexplicably built up. A person like his cousin had described doesn't just change overnight, or even in the few weeks that the Amity Park kids had been here. The only explanation was….

"…Why did you even let him do it?"

Danny forced the first aside, gathering his bag and leaving the locker room, glancing back and answering

"Because he needed it"

Troy sat in his car afterwards, fiddling with his keys. That answer was almost more frightening than anything he could have imagined that Fenton kid would have said. Shivering he started the car and drove home a little faster than usual. Brooding on that encounter made him uncomfortably close to discovering his reality and truths were a little shakier than previously believed.

 **/ Danny /**

Danny's calm exterior did not betray to the outsider his thoughts, but the truth was, he never really truly thought about why he allowed Dash to continue his daily sessions of violence. Sure, his ghostly healing made it so those bruises and pain disappeared quickly and he did need to guard his secret but, really, he could have stopped it. It wasn't until he was posed the question that he realized that for some reason or another, Dash really had needed that release. And if Danny didn't take the blows, someone who was less sturdy was going to get them and _they_ wouldn't be able to shrug it off within the hour. So he had allowed them to continue.

He wondered, guiltily, if someone in Dash's new school was taking the hits now.

Maybe he would ask Tucker to look into it for him.

 _Hey all! sorry for the massive long wait XD I'll be updating more often now- After I graduated I got swept up into work and all that I totally forgot about this story! But rest assured I still have plans for it, and you'll be getting more chapters very soon as I edit them. Thanks for the messages- they really do help with the motivation to keep up the narration! hope you all enjoy~_


	10. Chapter 9: Dash

-Weeks Earlier—

Dash wiped his lip, tasting the metallic tang from blood. Thank god it was the weekend, his dad was usually much better at avoiding obvious areas when he hit him, but today he was plastered more than usual, and his temper was up. Dash had already sent his mom upstairs, but his Father wasn't going to leave her alone if Dash left too. A pounding at the door drew his dads attention for long enough that Dash could stand up fully "COME BACK LATER!" His father roared in the general direction of the door "WE'RE BUSY!"

The two government Agents outside raised eyebrows at each other, over their sunglasses. This was an official governmental evacuation and they weren't authorized to place any of this on hold. There had been a city-wide announcement but there was no guarantee all citizens had received it, so all GIW personnel were systematically going through the city door to door and instigating the evac.

A large thud and more incoherent shouting emanated from the house when the two agents decided it was time for action.

"I SAID WE'RE BUSY!" the speaker, a large man glared at the open door with glassy eyes feverish with rage. The GIW pair didn't take long to assess the scene. A teenage boy, large, athletic, sporting*injuries, extracting himself from the remains of a wooden chair. The Large man, probably the father, standing above him with split knuckles and an arm raised. This operation was to protect the citizens, specifically the youth, and it was clear what needed to happen.

"On behalf of the President of the United States of America we have been commanded to remove and relocate all residents of Amity Park to safer cities for the protection of our Youth and future" One agent stated while the other busied himself in restraining and cuffing the Abuser.

Dash pulled himself up fully, too in shock to really understand what was happening. The sight of his Father in handcuffs brought in a swell of emotions: bitterness, sadness, anger, relief, satisfaction, fear. Deep down inside he knew that the abuse wasn't okay, but this was his dad. The man who bought him his letterman jacket, who said he was proud of Dash, who went to his games and cheered him on (when he wasn't drunk, anyway). The man who claimed to love his mother, but he was also the man who hit him and told him he was worthless. The man who had threatened to kill his dog if he told anyone about what was happening. He liked romance movies and his small puppy and even pop music, though he'd never admit it to anyone. His dad knew though, so he tried to fix him. It was Dash's fault his old man had to punish him, he shouldn't be locked away.

By the time his mind caught up his father was taken to a vehicle outside and his mother had come down the stairs- she was nodding and listening to what one of the suited men were saying. "wait, leave… Amity Park?" Dash finally spoke up "like, for good?"

/present time/

Dash was at his therapists office. It had taken a great deal of persuading to get him to go- mainly because the last time he saw a therapist he left the office feeling hopeless and tired- though he was pretty sure that had been a ghost problem of some kind, as the entire school had been affected and the therapist disappeared after only a few days. His walls had slowly lowered after he met his new therapist though. She didn't act all fake and sugary peppy happiness like the other one had, and was kind without being too much or too pitying. He'd been at this school for a month, and his life seemed to be…normal. For once. Though he was still dealing with the aftermath of such a radical change in his life, he had some days that were so good it seemed like his old life was a nightmare. But then he would remember his dad.

"feelings towards our abusers are never simple, especially when it was a family member" Dash's therapist looked at him kindly "It's okay that you miss him- miss who he used to be. It's alright to miss your old friends and home, it can be hard to have so much change all at once" Dash didn't look up from his hands "I'm scared… I'm just like him" He finally admitted to his therapist. It was hard, opening up, at first. But most of his Amity park friends were located somewhere else, only Kwaan was here, Dash could have a new start. It was difficult though, on bad days he still looked around for Fenton. Fenton with his perfect family and loving sister, Fenton, whose father was bigger than anyone but was the cheeriest and safest man to be around in times of trouble. "I- I used to hurt this kid. From…from my old school" He continued "everyday. I whaled on him. I was jealous of his family I hated how easy life was for him. He didn't _need_ to be the best he didn't _need_ to be popular like I did, he didn't have to _try so hard_ like I did to be Lov- _"_ Dash's voice broke "But…I'm starting to see that I was exactly like my dad. I blamed others for my problems and I _hurt_ them for it" he clenched his fists "and I still want to, sometimes."

His therapist smiled at him sadly "The fact that you realize this means you've already started to change, to heal, Dash. This is a good thing. It takes time. Some Abuse survivors fight it all their lives, but you can get through this. Take it a day at a time. Maybe someday you can ask for his forgiveness. " When Dash didn't respond she decided to move on "I hear you are doing better with your grades"

At this Dash finally looked up with a sigh, running a hand through his blond hair "Yeah, I guess school is much easier to understand when I'm not jacked up on pain meds all the time" He was by no means smart, but he could actually understand things now- and he had a home he could actually study in without being afraid of….interruptions.

"I'm glad to hear that you are doing better" She replied, though there was a slight tightness around her eyes at the way he had nonchalantly admitted that he had been on pain medication nearly every day to cope with the injuries he had sustained. "Is there anything else you want to say today?" She asked him kindly, she knew practice was starting up soon and he didn't like being late for this new coach

"No…thank you- I guess I just needed to get that off my chest" Dash replied, seeming far away. He was busy compartmentalizing and stuffing his emotions back into his mental box, composing himself for practice. He couldn't be distracted out there.

"Then I will see you tomorrow" She said, watching him leave the room

._ .

/Footnotes/

*(no pun intended, the government has no sense of humor. In fact, one of the best agents they had was born without a sense of humor. Powers and Trigger are an effective pair but they are currently busy with a different assignment on the west coast ;D)


	11. Chapter 10

Unaware of his former bullies conflict over him from three towns away, Danny sat in Trig, fiddling with his pencil; He was in that semi-zoned-out-yet-productive state that only his math classes could produce. Trigonometry wasn't his favorite, but now that he was getting decent sleep and no other worldly distractions, his Fenton brain was catching up to the rest of his family. One thing he liked about this school is no one cared if you had good grades- in fact, everyone just in general saw it as a good thing if you did, not really status raising but 'oh hey you'll get into a decent college' type of an opinion. It helped that he didn't have to keep leaving to chase ghosts, and Coach had even asked him to help out a few of the guys on the team upkeep their grades so they could go on to state later this year. _If_ they went on to state- but Coach had high hopes it seemed.

Trig was still boring though. Higher math was necessary to be an astronaut though, and Danny secretly wondered if his dream was still obtainable, so he tried, just in case. He sneezed, rubbing his arms and feeling a bit cold, but it wasn't the cold of a ghost, just boring things like a broken A/C unit that wouldn't turn _off_ unless you hit it just right.

There was still no word of anything in Amity park, or even the ghost zone. At this point Danny almost wanted the _box ghost_ to show up. Putting up with the same 'Beware!' and 'I am the box ghost!' fifty times per encounter was better than this radio silence. Danny winced as the shrill school bell cut through the air- well, maybe _silence_ wasn't the best word.

"Hey you!" Danny looked up from where he was stuffing his books back into his backpack. He only vaguely knew the pair from his classes, a tall pretty junior with teeth that were a little too large to be conventionally beautiful but she pulled it off anyway, and a bigger kid he was fairly sure might be on the wrestling team. Danny waited for them to speak, wondering what this was about.

"You're one of the Amity kids, right? Hey we're going to visit a haunted house tonight, one of the local legend ones. You in? I figure if they _do_ exist you'd know better than us!" the grin was friendly, almost a challenge. Danny thought it through for a moment, then sighed and swung his backpack onto his back.

"Alright, I'll come" he agreed, if only to protect these idiots on the off chance there _was_ some kind of spectral activity. And he kindof missed ghost hunting to be honest- even missed _Skulker_. Danny almost missed getting trussed up- not quite though. The chases and evasion were thrilling though.

"great! Meet us by the Nasty Burger across town at 10!"

 **/later/**

"you sure you don't want to come?" Danny asked the two glumly- this would be so much more enjoyable if Sam and Tucker came with him. They could snicker and reminisce of their own very real ghost hunts, and make fun of the local 'spook' activity- which Danny was fairly certain was just a rather chaotic raccoon.

"No thanks, this new game came out last week and-"

"you played that through completely _three_ times!"

"yeah, and it doesn't involve possibly getting a tetnus infected splinter in the dark, or stumbling into teenagers canoodling"

Another sigh from the half-ghost boy. "fair point. But-" Danny was grasping at straws here. He couldn't think of something compelling.

Tucker snickered "though if it was a risk of a _technus_ infection-"

Sam and Danny groaned in tandem

"It would be so much more interesting if that was the case…" Danny trailed off

"It's good you are going to look after them, Danny. True hero biz is the hard work with little thanks. I'm proud of you" Sam offered, though she didn't seem to be extending a hand of liberation to him either.

"you guys…could…help me come up with ideas to prank them myself? I mean, they want ghosts already, I could-"

"Danny"

"yeah?"

"no."

He sighed, shoulders drooping. "okay _fine_. What's your excuse anyway?" He looked at Sam curiously. She blushed- surprisingly- and lifted her chin

"I don't have to tell you anything"

All afternoon, despite his badgering, wheedling, even _begging_ at one point- Sam wouldn't reveal why she wasn't going. Danny finally left at nine, a bit dejected and feeling like maybe there wasn't actually a reason after all. Sam probably just didn't want to hang out with a bunch of strangers in an empty abandoned house all night.

"Tell us how it went"

"yeah and text us if any _real_ ghosts show up"

Danny rolled his eyes "Guys, the house is like, and hour and a half away, I don't think you'd get there in time"

"fine then, snapchat me a pic"

Danny grumbled a bit, then left. He stopped by home quickly, changing into a dark blue t-shirt with the Nasa symbol on the front and some jeans he wouldn't care about getting grimy- who knew what was in that 'house'! though perhaps he shouldn't have bothered- the moment his dad found out what he was doing it was all 'take us with you we'll find the ghosts!' and 'at least take the fenton peeler!'

He almost had to turn intangible just to leave the _house_.

When he arrived 5 minutes late to the nasty Burger parking lot, the group was obvious and not hard to spot- some even had ghost hunting t-shirts done in poor taste. This might be a long car ride.

A very long car ride.

The two who actually invited him to the excursion ended up the driver for his group, and surprisingly, easy to talk to. Even if they laughed every time he answered them seriously about the ghosts and ghost activity- but Danny was used to that. In fact, it was almost better. He missed Sam and Tuck something awful though, no one was here to make dry goth humor or ghost related puns.

"There she is guys!" the wrestler called out excited. It seemed he genuinely hoped they would have a run in of some sort-

"none of the local legends can agree on _what_ happened here, but they all say that _something_ did!" he said in a low 'spooky' voice. "My favorite is the one where a swindling grafter gets murdered by a pair of best friends and buried under a peach tree!"

Danny raised an eyebrow. That was…a really oddly specific one. "A peach tree huh?" he mumbled, looking around. It was chilly but…not in a ghostly sort of way. He stepped into the house, glancing around. It was kindof eerie, the peeling wallpaper, the large gaps where wood had rotted away, the missing stair peices and dry dusty _forgotten_ feeling of the place. But…

Maybe he was desensitized by ghosts having been in his life long before he became phantom, but...this wasn't really scary.

It was kindof neat though. Danny paused in front of a cracked and faded family portrait, wondering who those people had been and if they had just moved on to a better life or if they had remained here until they died of old age.

"You just go for it don't you?" one of the other teens asked, this one was a more quiet type Danny thought, but he could be wrong. The slender boy was in his homeroom so he at least recognized his face vaugely

"I guess that's to be expected though, where you came from." his dark eyes darted around the place nervously, avoiding the photograph as though he found it unsettling, and laughed nervously.

"Actually, I think this place is creepier if you consider the possibilities of a _live_ human in residence" Danny replied, suddenly realizing with a spike of anxiety that such a thing was a real danger. Not for himself, but for everyone else here. It was good he came.

"Yeah….yeah I guess I know what you mean" Danny's classmate chuckled again, swallowing hard but trying to look unbothered. "But I mean, at least you can fight those…"

' _Eh, fighting ghosts is easier…'_ Danny thought to himself, but didn't say anything. He shrugged, then, seeing how _incredibly_ nervous the kid looked, took pity and offered him a fenton wristband his dad had forced on him on the way out. All of the new anti-ghost tech was formulated to accept only Danny's unique ecto-signature, so he wasn't worried about that.

"This repels ghosts- they can't use powers directly on you, touch you, or anything like that" He explained "you can have it if it'll make you feel better. If you believe me" He fully didn't expect him to.

"I-thanks" the boy looked incredibly surprised, then grateful, though he quickly pulled the 'disinterested cool teenager' mask back in place while accepting it.

"I'm only wearing this ironically" he quickly muttered, though there was still an undercurrent of gratitude and a new confidence in his step.

"Oh, and I'm Jace...guess I'll….see you in homeroom?"

"Yeah"

By this time the whole group was in the house, making enough racket to wake the dead, if there _was_ any dead. He allowed the group to draw him forward, ignoring the squeals and shrieks of them all teasing eachother- the guys almost screaming more than the girls- before he picked up something.

A very very very _faint_ something. It couldn't possibly be a real ghost, but an artifact perhaps?

Danny drifted towards the room it seemed to emanate from when-

"AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHH!"

 _Oh crap, that sounds like actual fear!_

* * *

/footnotes/  
 _hey everyone! hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll be updating again real soon- thank you to everyone for the sweet reviews and messages, I appreciate every one of them! they really help motivate me to continue this;;;_

 _Have a wonderful week!_


	12. Chapter 11

The closer he got to the source of the frantic drawn out calls, the more Danny seemed to recognize one of them. One of the Amity kids perhaps? He had certainly heard enough of _their_ screams through the years, but none of them had come with this group. By the time he rounded the corner the shrieks had devolved into bickering, one voice _very_ distinctive.

"Paulina?"

But there was no sign of _anyone_ -just some splintered boards and and a hole that hadn't been there before.

"what is _wrong_ with you? We don't even know you losers!" Rang up from the dark opening

"if I have to go redo my manicure for this- I better not find any splinters either! I don't want some kind of weird disease from god knows what is on these boards! And the house probably has asbestos-"

 _Yep. It was definitely Paulina._

Danny could actually see rather well in the dark thanks to his ghostly side, and now that he was _trying_ to, could see them- about a quarter of the group had fallen in, and about what looked to be three strangers including Paulina.

"look we were just trying to scare-"

"by jumping off a bannister?

"I'm surprised the thing didn't snap under you immediately you _idiot-"_

" _everyone all right down there?"_ Danny asked loudly, hoping to cut off a rant. He knew just how bitter a diatribe Paulina could get into if allowed to entrench herself into a grudge.

Paulina frowned, the voice seemed familiar, was it Star's cousin maybe? He hadn't talked much on the way up but she'd known him for a few years

"yes Jared, for the most part. _Due to some miracle"_ this last bit of vitriol was directed at the instigators of this mess "find a way to get us out?" This was said more sweetly and Danny had to grin a little in amusement. Classic Paulina.

"I can help you get out" he replied confidently, but a bit distracted. Danny turned on a flashlight for their benefit, (more so someone wouldn't move unknowingly below him) before grabbing onto the edge and swinging himself down. Danny turned

"but I'm not Jared"

She watched, both a little in awe at his ability to just effortlessly get down without hurting himself, and at the way the flashlight played off those lean muscle contours.

When Danny turned around she asked almost accusingly "Who _are_ you?"

Danny frowned.

" _Ouch_. we've been classmates since-"

"No! I know you're Fenton but like...who _are_ you?" she looked at him, clearly shocked. The Danny she knew didn't just confidently do, well, anything physical. And he was so….

It was like looking at a stranger. It was _weird._

"Uh….not really sure what you mean Paulina" Danny replied, though he felt a small twinge of nervousness sprout. That's right, she didn't...he'd been hiding his capabilities for years. _Oops. hope this doesn't lead to any...but I'm not danny phantom much anymore, no ghosts to fight. This should be fine, right?_

She wasn't about to let herself be placed on the defensive so Paulina flicked her hand as if to say it was beneath her and didn't matter.

"anyway, you should have gotten a rope or ladder or something! Now you are stuck in here too!" Her comment sparked a few others that grew in volume and complaint

"I can get back up" Danny replied with a shrug "and stairs exist, we should be able to find out way out easily enough" he wasn't fully focused on the conversation however, something was bothering him, but he couldn't quite figure out what yet.

The group eventually agreed to search the surrounding rooms for stairs- the cellar had been used as a living area apparently, or storage in sections as there were walls and doorways. The whole area smelled musty, with an odd sort of almost tangy after smell that couldn't quite be placed.

Danny could hardly even focus on the strange fact that Paulina was here- and that she kept giving him odd glances. His attention was focused on this strange slight feeling. Like a shadow in his peripheral vision that he couldn't put a finger on, except not with vision. It nagged and nagged, tugging his concentration until one of the students opened a door to his right-

 _There it is._

The faintest sense of something. Too scant to be a ghost itself but...perhaps an item? Danny had sudden flashbacks to that amulet ages ago, when he was first growing accustomed to his powers. Hmmm...yes that could be it, something like that.

The closer he got, the more it turned from the elusive pulling sensation to a 'present but very faint' one. Something like this wouldn't have even been noticed in Amity, not with the louder 'voices' of the dead drowning it out, but here where there were none...huh. _Did that mean it was harmless?_ Danny wondered, but he wasn't exactly willing to find out the hard way. As the rest of the group spread out around the room, Danny followed the slightly cold sense

"Look" one of the students said, pulling his attention from it for just a moment, voice emotional "stairs"

Danny frowned. He had forgotten they were even searching for a way out, honestly. Most of the group moved for them but there were a few that decided since they had the way out already, they might as well explore this area Greyhaus had never been rumored to have a _basement_ afterall, they could find something interesting! (which was precisely what danny wanted to _avoid_.) The faint aura seemed to be originating from an ancient falling-apart bureau, and Danny made his way to it as quietly as he could, cheating a little and making his arm go insubstantial to search the contents without being obvious. There wasn't much- just some old screws and a small glass bottle or two- probably for ink, and a small object, like an earring or something. It seemed to stick almost to his hand, and Danny could tell this was the object he had sensed.

" _THE STAIRS ARE BLOCKED_." a flat deadpan _displeased_ voice rang out.

 _Dangit. Would you all calm down for THREE seconds so I can look at this?_ He thought irritably, hastily pocketing the thing and heading over. It was strange, how everyone seemed to expect him to lead now- maybe it had been his confidence earlier? That was just...odd. Danny wasn't used to such treatment (and by Paulina's face, she was shocked he got it too). He pushed against the trapdoor at the top of the stairs, frowning. It wasn't _locked_ it was just...heavy. There was probably something on top it- which explained how no one had discovered this part of the house yet.

"Anyone have the cell number of the rest of the group?" he asked "we could text them to move whatever it is that's on top this thing"

"There's no service right here!"  
"Then move to the open room where we _had_ service" Danny suggested, rolling his eyes and looking at the trapdoor. It was dark enough in here that if he positioned just right...he let his hand go insubstantial once more, phasing through the old worn wood. Yeah, there was a small dresser or something on top. Maybe he could tip it….but that might be too obvious, and he didn't know who else might be above.

Dang.

And he was starting to recognize that smell.

 _I think this was a speakeasy_. If there was any alcohol left the students would _definitely_ find it, and he did not want to deal with that.

"Yeah, gather everyone in here after you text them to move the stuff- you three, knock on the ceiling so they know our general area. This shouldn't be too hard."

Surprisingly they listened, and soon enough Danny could hear an old wooden scraping sound. He shoved at the trapdoor. _Still closed_. Danny narrowed his eyes, then ran his hand over the trapdoor- to the casual observer it might look like it was all on the surface, but his hands dipped _in_ just a bit, finding a few screws that were keeping the door closed. _Thank goodness it's dark_. He used his abilities on them for just a moment- long enough to get the fastening metal screws and nails out of the wood, then pushed again.

It swung freely up, revealing Jace and the wrestler.

"Thanks guys. Nothing but dust down there" Danny said brightly, hoping they would get the hint and just _leave_.

"Come on up everybody"  
"Me _first_ " Paulina called, moving her way to the front with an entitled air that quelled any grumbles. She flashed Danny an almost angry significant look before climbing out- and flirting _heavily_ with the muscle-bound wrestler.

 _Yup. classic Paulina._

His hand drifted to his pocket, thumb rubbing over the small pin there- it felt like it was in some kind of flower shape, or perhaps a clover. _Huh_. well, plenty of time to investigate it later, for now he had to contain the rest of the teens.

That would be a chore and a half.

* * *

/footnotes/  
Hello friends! glad you all are enjoying this so far! honesty this one took so long just because I couldn't decide what the object was going to be, and what it would do. and then you don't even find out! haha woops. well, next chapter perhaps ;D  
what do you all think? did this go anywhere in the direction you expected?  
OTL also as always, formatting on here throws me for a loop I am so sorry if it's got awkward line breaks or...idk. :'D


	13. Chapter 12

Everyone seemed to discover a newfound case of claustrophobia once Paulina exited-Danny was unceremoniously shoved and pushed on their way out of the narrow opening. He tried his best but in such close quarters Danny would need to go completely intangible or just accept the bruises as they came. He choose the second option, though he would quickly regret it

"ow! Goddamn-" the pin had jabbed sharply into his thigh at a particularly rough shove. Biting back exclamations he dug it quickly out of his pocket, just in time to feel a swell of power come off it.

 _Crap_. Maybe it was because he was a halfa and had now imbued the thing with his blood (involuntarily!) But whatever faint aura had existed before had grown stronger.

"huh what's that? It looks like it's glowing" the pin was quickly taken from danny's stunned hand.

 _Oh no_

"wait! no that's-"

"hey guys check this out!" Danny scrambled up to take it back, only to be grabbed by a very sharply manicured hand and shoved into a nearby closet.

"if you think I'm done with you Fenton you're wrong!" Paulina hissed, cutting off his every protest and attempt to get past her. Well, it didn't sound like the pin was causing any havoc yet so maybe he had time to placate his former classmate.

"woah Paulina, you're hot but don't you have a boyfriend?" He joked only to sober up at her withering stare.

"don't get cute with me nerd boy." She grabbed the front if his shirt, getting closer, threatening.

"I _know_ you can't have changed that much, so spill it. What have you been hiding? And for how long? Yeah there have been other nerd successes but those were minor. Band geeks winning tournaments with band geek stuff, book nerds doing well with debates, that sort of a thing. But scrawny nerd boys winning sports games? I don't think so. Spill it" muffled exclamations sounded through the dusty rotting door, but once again she cut off his protests. Gritting his teeth Danny sighed in frustration. _Well at least none of those sounded pained._

" _well?_ Secret sports teams you were on? Workouts? Something else Perhaps? Spill."

"look Paulina, what do you want me to say? That I'm not the person you assumed I was? Okay. I'm not the two dimensional person you thought I was. Happy? That shouldn't come as a surprise. it's not like you ever knew me, or acknowledged my existence anyway. weren't exactly _friends_." Danny allowed the frustration he'd felt for years bleed out a little. He'd brushed off a lot, put up with much, and done his best to let it go. But his terror at being discovered mixed with the isolation from being deemed unworthy of positive interaction was cracking his patience. Another thump outside drew his attention, but Paulina was already reciprocating in tones a dog would find uncomfortable.

Outside the closet no one noticed their absence- everyone was watching Liam, who had found a few bottles from the speakeasy days of the house and was drinking one on a dare. Lots cheers kicked up a ruckus, and he decided to give them a demonstration of what type of local entertainment a speakeasy had. The bottle became a 'saxaphone' for the 'smooth jazz' his mouth was producing- the sound was far from it, but the antics were entertaining at least. If his eyes glowed as little everyone chalked it up to weird lighting. The house was now too old for such robust and energetic treatment, and before Liam could get into the real "exiting!" Part of his (adequate at best) performance, he stumbled, crashing through a rotting chair and cracking his head on the floor, the broken bottle opening a violently red gash on his arm.

Somewhere between her threats and recounting of his past failures were hints that Paulina was starting to get an inkling of the truth. Before she could get too far an agonized cry cut through the air. Danny cursed softly at the screams. _I knew it. I just knew this would end badly!_ His tolerance for her antics used up, Danny shoved the door open, pulling his arm away abruptly and ignoring her threats. It took but a moment to take in the scene.

" _Fenton_ don't you dare-!"

" _no_ Paulina, don't _you!"_ He replied sharply "this is a crisis, a hurt person is more important than your disgruntlement!"

It took but a moment to acertain what had occured, and who needed his attention.

"everyone quiet down And try to stay calm" he instructed, kneeling next to the groaning Liam. Danny carefully re-pocketed the clover shaped pin on the sly while checking the teen over for injuries.

"think he'll need to give mouth to mouth?" One of Paulina's friends snickered

"I'm so glad you are so worried about his health" Danny said coolly, not looking up "and thank you for volunteering to get the cars up and running so we can go to a hospital. Jason, please call an ambulance and tell them to meet us in sugar-Salem." After inquiring if anyone had a first aid kit in their car- and hearing a negative from all, Danny set to work quickly. He ripped from his shirt bandages to tie up the gash-it would at least staunch the bloodflow. A quick check of his neck and back showed no serious injury, though Danny did his best with _every_ tool available, regular and ghostly, to ascertain this. _I really shouldn't be moving him but…_ they were too far away. If they could met the ambulance halfway that should save a lot of time.

He put his arms under Liam, hosting him up into a bridal carry.

"someone open their car door and be prepared to speed."

The shock from the sudden injury wore off, and the rest of the group stared for only a moment before quickly scattering to do as Danny had instructed, each of them glad they didn't have to be in charge. Many decided to just leave, a few followed the car with Danny and Liam, but one group hung behind before eventually growing bored and heading back in the opposite direction.

Paulina sat in the back seat, staring out the window. She never understood the obsession with being in the front- a chauffer belonged up there. As the dark rural scenery flashed by she tried to put her finger on what what was bothering her about that Fenton kid so much-and why the silhouette of him carrying that hurt loser had seemed almost familiar.

 _/1 car ride and multiple speeding laws disobeyed later.../_

"wait you're _where?"_

"the hospital off exit 52. Ma'am please stay calm, your son is fine, we were able to get him here quickly. Yes. Yes I know, I'm sorry about that. Yes he's been treated already. The doctors say all that needs to be done is some paperwork and he can come home. Uh huh. I understand. Well that's between you and him. Yes. Thank you very much, we'll see you soon." Danny hung up Liams phone and handed it back to his friend with a puzzled expression

"so tell me again why _I_ had to call and not one of you or Liam himself?"

"uh...because she's terrifying and a _mom?_ I don't know how you got out of that without being yelled at"

"our how you stayed so calm dude"

"yeah that too"

"uh huh. Well I've found that speaking politely and calmly usually works for the best, and being patient and repeating yourself without making a big deal out of it usually helps too" Danny replied, reaching for his own phone to call Sam and Tucker. He would have been out of here sooner, just ditched his classmates and flown back but he couldn't get a moments peace. Now Liam's mother was expecting to see Danny here when she arrived. He sighed, leaning back to pinch the bridge of his nose. _I knew something like this would happen_. Which was why he came but still, it wasn't exactly how he had planned to spend Friday night.

"we owe you man"

"yeah, just say the word and we'll be there, Liam too." They all stood, patting Danny on the shoulder

"...just not right now. Besides things'll go better if we're not here when Mrs. Hilmour gets here. I think she gets angry just by seeing my face"

And with that they deserted him faster than tucker could eat fried chicken.

 _This is going to be a long night._

Hours later, and comfortably ensconced in the Manson's couch, Danny recounted the story of his less-than successful evening.

"so what does it do?" Sam asked, eating her tofu vegan chinese takeout while Danny and Tucker devoured their more traditional delicious American chowmein with orange chicken.

"havn't a clue. He was just doing normal dumb teenage stuff, though I think it had something to do with those secret alcohol bars during the prohibition"

"cool. I mean, Liams still an idiot, but cool"

"Yeah" Tucker added in, spraying bits of chow mein across the table, to the disgust of them all

"good thing you went then isn't it?"

"I guess" Danny shrugged "or you could say it's since they probably wouldn't have found it if I hadn't-"

Sam cut him off with a look. "teenagers. Stuck in a lower level with no apparent way out and you think they wouldn't have gotten bored and rummaged in drawers?"

"...fair point"

"uh huh. Now eat those eggrolls because _I_ won't"

They didn't need telling twice.

* * *

Author footnotes:  
Hey guys- sorry it took so long to upload this. Things have been a little wild. Picked up a new job, dropped an old one, saw the eclipse, visited family, found myself 15 feet away from a bear in open forest and got in a fight with a toaster oven. Aren't I productive? XD  
Anyway, I hope this isn't too choppy, I didn't have much time to edit and polish this chapter. Enjoy and I'll be sure to get the next one up quicker!


End file.
